1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paper sheet handling apparatus capable of sorting paper sheets such as cards into groups, and arranging the sheets in order in each group.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of handling so many paper sheets, it has been requested to sort paper sheets, supplied at random, into several groups in accordance with the kinds thereof, and to arrange sheets in order in each group.
For example, in the case of delivering items of mail in each delivery area, the reasonable delivery route does not necessarily correspond to the order of the address numbers in the delivery area. Thus, a device is requested, which can sort items of mail into groups corresponding to delivery areas and arrange them in each group to accord with a predetermined delivery order.
A card Card sorting apparatus of this type is disclosed in Published Examined Japanese Patent Application No. 56-42010.
In the apparatus disclosed in this publication, the classification number of a latter card discharged from a single card container is read and compared with a number of a former card previously discharged and data stored in a storing section, to detect whether the latter card is to be located in front of the stored former card. If this is the case, the latter card is passed to another container. If the latter card is detected not to be passed, the former card stored in the storing section is taken out and sent to the another container. In this case, the latter card is now stored in the storing section. Such operation is repeated to arrange the overall cards in order.
Generally, cards may well be injured when they are conveyed, discharged from, or stocked into a container. In consideration of this, the above-mentioned apparatus is disadvantageous since cards must be discharged a number of times corresponding to the number of the total cards, at least twice. If ten cards are arranged in order by means of the method employed in the publication, it is necessary to discharge cards nine times in the most case. The larger the number of the cards, the larger number of times the cards must be discharged, and accordingly the more time is required.
Moreover, the size of a container is limited physically, and accordingly, the number of cards which can be handled at a time is limited.
If a large number of cards are handled in the above apparatus, then it is necessary to employ a sorter at a location upstream of the apparatus in order to sort the cards into groups. In this case, the cards are handled at least one time more than in the case where an apparatus has no sorter. Further, moving the cards between the apparatus and sorter involves additional time and labor.